Chapter 3 Chapitre 3

The first provocations, those little sparks that would normally have ignited a storm, seemed to be lost in Amelie's icy indifference. Luca, a man determined to regain control, had no intention of letting himself be taken down. On the contrary, he knew he could break her, he was sure of it. But the more he advanced in his plan, the more a sense of unease set in, a frustration that he could not explain.

Luca had always liked to be in control. It was his nature. He had built his life, his empire, on discipline and order. But he hadn't anticipated that this marriage would be a psychological battlefield. He had believed that, deep down, Amelie would give in. He had seen her calm, cold, almost too perfect. But was this perfection a mask? He felt torn between his desire to push her to the limit and this strange curiosity that was growing inside him.

He didn't have to wait long to impose his will. The morning after their arrival, Luca summoned Amelie into the living room of their suite. He stared at her for a long time, as if he were trying to read her soul through her eyes.

- Amelie, he said firmly, there are rules to follow in this house. And I want them to be clear.

Amelie looked up at him, her gaze calm, impassive. She was waiting. She knew this moment would eventually come.

- I don't want you to go out after 8pm, Luca began, taking on his usual authoritative tone. Evenings are times we spend together, and I won't accept any exceptions. Do you hear me?

She nodded slowly, as if these rules didn't bother her.

- Very well, she replied in a neutral tone.

Luca stared at her for a long time, analyzing her face. He expected a reaction, a sign of rebellion, but he saw none of that. She remained stoic, almost too calm. Her eyes, usually so mysterious, seemed to challenge him from the inside, but she said nothing.

- And there will be no living together. Every day, you settle in here in your room, and I will stay in mine, Luca continued, with a hint of defiance in his voice. We will live like two strangers under the same roof. I don't want any pretense.

Again, Amelie nodded, still in a calm tone.

- I understand, she replied.

Silence fell for a moment. Luca, who had expected a surge of emotion, a decision, found himself helpless. She seemed to accept every rule he imposed without the slightest reluctance. It was as if none of this mattered to her.

- Is that all? she asked, finally breaking the silence, her gaze still impenetrable.

Luca stared at her, somewhat disconcerted. No, that wasn't all. There was still something, something he had to get out.

- Yes, for now, he answered in a colder voice, I think that's all. But don't think it's going to be easy. This is just the beginning.

He turned on his heel, leaving the room without another word. He felt trapped. Why the hell had he thought this marriage would be simple? Why was he the one being thrown off balance by a simple woman who clearly wasn't letting his provocations get to her?

In the days that followed, Luca sank deeper and deeper into his plan. He continued to impose rules, to maintain an icy distance between them. Amelie still didn't react. She respected his rules, without flinching, with a disarming coldness.

One evening, when he came home from a business meeting, he found her, as usual, in the living room, alone, her eyes fixed on a book. She hadn't even noticed him. He stood there, observing her figure, her back straight, her features relaxed, as if she were not a prisoner of this marriage. And that was the whole problem.

He approached her slowly, keeping a certain distance.

- Amelie, why don't you tell me anything? he asked in a more acerbic tone than he had intended.

She turned her head towards him, as if she wasn't surprised.

- What do you want me to tell you? she replied with icy sweetness.

He sat down across from her, and for the first time since they had arrived at this place, he admitted to himself that her calmness was unnerving him. It wasn't what he expected. He wanted to see anger, frustration, something that would break that impassive mask she wore. But all he got was this strange calmness that unnerved him even more.

- I impose rules on you, Amelie, rules that should make you react, and you stand there, without saying anything. Why? Why don't you fight me? Why do you submit without a word?

She slowly closed her book, placed it on the coffee table and stared into his eyes. A look of unfathomable depth.

- Because I don't see the point in fighting, Luca. This marriage was never about feelings for me. You understand that, don't you?

Luca froze. Those words hit her mind like a slap. She didn't fight because she didn't see the point. She'd understood from the start. He had no power over her.

- You... you're really indifferent to all this? he asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

She sighed softly, almost as if she pitied him.

- No, Luca. I am not indifferent. But I am realistic. You can impose all the rules you want, it will not change the reality of our situation. We are bound by obligations, nothing more.

Those words hit him with such force that he was speechless. He had believed that somehow she would give in, that he could break her by provoking her, by pushing her to her limits. But she was different. She had seen the situation for what it was, and she didn't even try to change it. She accepted, she submitted without flinching. But it was a submission that trapped him at every moment.

Days went by and Luca kept putting in place additional rules. Every hour that Amelie spent in the suite, every moment that they shared, was an opportunity for him to test her limits, to see if she would crack, if she would finally react. But nothing. Always the same calm and polite response.

He began to wonder if any of this made sense. Every provocation he threw seemed to be lost in the void, without a single spark of life. He was tired. Tired of seeing her so calm, so insensitive to his attacks. And with each passing day, his irritation grew, as did this strange feeling of helplessness that ate away at him from the inside.

Amelie, in her corner, continued to play the game, without ever flinching. But Luca knew that, somewhere, something was hiding behind her gaze. And he was determined to find out.